Today is the winter solstice, the shortest day and the longest night of the year— also known locally as “the first day of winter.”
Arriving annually sometime on Dec. 20, 21 or 22, the winter solstice marks the beginning of astronomical winter in the Northern Hemisphere and the beginning of summer in the southern half of the world.
Sunsets this time of year can be just as spectacular as ones during the summer.
Every December, the winter solstice happens everywhere on Earth at the same instant, though the actual time varies, depending on the time zone.
For instance in 2020, early this morning, Mon., Dec. 21, the winter solstice arrived overnight in Naperville at 4:02AM CST.
According to NASA, that instant marked when the sun reached its southernmost position in the sky, no matter where on Earth an individual happens to be.
Picture Source: Positively Naperville
